BOWLS: Win is in vain for Miller

CHRISTIE Miller men won their sixth and final central region group match of the season but missed out on claiming a wildcard into the Wessex League end-of-season play-offs, writes DAVE EATON.

The Melksham club thumped Purnell (Paulton) by 42 shots in their last match, but other results went against them.

Miller dominated against Somerset side, taking the honours on three of the four rinks and only just failing to record a whitewash losing the other game by the narrowest of margins - a single shot.

At Christie Miller, the quartet led by Andy Moore registered a comprehensive 19-shot success while alongside Brian Routledge’s four won by seven shots.

Away in Paulton, the four skipped by Paul Macdonald were always in control winning by 17 shots, but alongside Nigel Price’s rink was edged out on the last end by a single shot after dropping eight shots in the last five ends.

Christie took 14 points out of a possible 16 but with Dorchester and Bournemouth both collecting 16 points, West Berks (Newbury) 14 and Solihull 12, Christie failed to gain one of the four wild cards on offer to the best non-qualifiers on points average per game.

THE duo of Kim Smith and Andrew Colebrooke reached the quarter-finals of the national mixed pairs in Lincoln last weekend, but then went out to the eventual winners.

Clarrie’s Smith and Colebrooke led Sean Coyle and England women’s international Wendy King 6-5 at five ends and had raced 15-5 clear at ten in their last 16 match but were then reeled back in.

They only led 18-14 at 15 and were tied 19-19 at 18 but two singles on the last three ends gave them a narrow 21-20 win.

In the quarter-finals they faced two well established England internationals and former national mixed pairs winners Ellen Falkner and Nicky Brett (City of Ely).

Smith and Colebrooke were 4-2 down at five ends but tied 7-7 at ten but had slipped behind again trailing 12-8 at 15.

They were 17-12 down at 18 ends and eventually lost 22-12.

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The Clarrie Dunbar pairing should not be too despondent with the loss as the following day Falkner and Brett beat Hartlepool 25-14 in the semis and Wellingborough (Northampton) 24-11 in the final to lift the mixed pairs trophy again.

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